SDCCD : COVID-19 Update - September 24, 2021

Press release from San Diego Community College District:

September 24, 2021

SDCCD Community:

This message provides updates on two important topics:- Board of Trustees Resolution Regarding a COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Employees- CDC Approval of Booster Doses of the Pfizer Vaccine for Public Education Employees

At the September 23, 2021 meeting of the Board of Trustees, the Board unanimously
approved a resolution directing the Chancellor to implement a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for all employees.
The requirement also applies to students and members of the public accessing onsite
instruction and services throughout the District. This decision is the culmination
of many months of discussion with stakeholders throughout the District, including
collective bargaining representatives, Academic and Classified Senate representatives,
Associated Student Government representatives, and managers, supervisors, and employees
in instruction, student services, and a wide range of operational areas. In every
discussion, the primary concern has been the health and safety of everyone working,
attending, and receiving services throughout our District. Adding a requirement which
limits access to attend and work at our Colleges and District is a difficult, but
necessary, decision given the devastating impacts of COVID-19 on our communities and
the urgency for resuming in-person instruction and services. Read the Vaccine Requirement Resolution.

All employees of the San Diego Community College District will be required to be fully
vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved exemption. The timeline for employees
who are not yet fully vaccinated to comply will be announced in a subsequent email.
All employees who are not fully vaccinated are strongly encouraged to begin the process
as soon as possible. The District follows the definition of “fully vaccinated” provided
by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which is 14 days after the final dose in
an authorized vaccine series. All vaccines authorized by the CDC, Federal Drug Administration
(FDA), and World Health Organization (WHO) are accepted by the District. In the United
States, there are three vaccines currently available with full or emergency approval
by the FDA: Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines
are a two dose series and it takes five weeks to be fully vaccinated. The Johnson
& Johnson vaccine is a single dose and it takes two weeks to be fully vaccinated.
All three vaccines are available at no cost throughout San Diego County and the United
States through county vaccination clinics, medical providers, and retail pharmacies.

If you have already provided documentation of your vaccination status and received
a confirmation of your submission, you do not need to do anything further. If you
have not previously submitted your vaccination documentation, you must do so by Friday,
October 8, 2021.

If you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but have not provided documentation,
you must submit a form stating you are fully vaccinated; the date of your most recent
vaccination dose; a copy of your vaccination record card, State of California SMART
Health Card showing your vaccination record, email confirmation of vaccination, or
other documentation showing you have been fully vaccinated; and authorization for
the District to use information about your vaccination status for employment-related
reasons. You may obtain your California SMART Health Card here.

Instructions on completing the vaccination confirmation form

PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT THIS FORM UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED YOUR FINAL VACCINE DOSE. If
you are not fully vaccinated at this time, please submit this form after you receive
your final dose (2nd dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine or one dose of the Johnson
& Johnson vaccine).

As required by Federal and State law, the District will evaluate requests for an exemption
from this requirement based on a medical condition or a sincerely-held religious belief.
Exemptions will be considered on an individual basis. Employees approved for an exemption
will go through an interactive process to determine whether a reasonable accommodation
to the vaccination requirement can be made without posing a health and safety risk
to others. Reasonable accommodations may include periodic COVID-19 testing, changes
in work assignments, changes in work schedules, changes in work location, and other
appropriate measures. Accommodations are evaluated on an individual basis within the
specific reasons for an exemption, work performed, environment in which work is performed,
and related relevant factors.

If you have previously submitted an exemption request based on a medical condition
and received approval, you do not need to do anything further at this time. If additional
information is needed, a Human Resources representative will contact you directly.

If you have previously submitted an exemption request based on a sincerely-held religious
belief, you will need to submit an updated request providing additional information. Beginning
Monday, September 27th, the revised religious exemption request form will be available
in PeopleSoft within the “Employee Dashboard” and “My Forms” link. The prior exemption
request form has been disabled and you will not be able to access it at this time.
Specific instructions on completing the exemption request form will be provided in
a subsequent email.

If you have not previously submitted an exemption request based on a medical condition
or sincerely-held religious belief, you must do so by October 8, 2021.

Employees who do not submit their vaccination documentation and are not approved for
an exemption will be subject to discipline.

Earlier today (September 24, 2021), the CDC approved a 3rd dose of the Pfizer COVID-19
vaccine for individuals 65 or older, 18 or older and with underlying conditions putting
them at higher risk, and individuals with high occupational risk of infection, including
public education employees. The CDC had not changed the definition of “fully vaccinated”
to require a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine at this time. Based on the information
available at this time, we believe all San Diego Community College District employees
who received the Pfizer vaccine more than six months ago (currently, in March 2021)
are eligible for a booster dose. CVS has announced it will begin accepting appointments
for Pfizer booster doses immediately. Employees interested in a booster dose should
contact vaccine providers directly for information about availability and appointments.
At this time, the District will not be providing vaccination onsite at District facilities
for employees.

To reiterate, employees are not required to get a booster dose to comply with the
District’s vaccination requirement at this time.

Currently, booster doses for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are being
studied and are not authorized by the CDC or FDA. Further information will be provided
if additional booster doses are approved and if the CDC updates the definition of
“fully vaccinated”. 

The District provides data on COVID-19 infections in California, San Diego County,
and among employees and students on our COVID-19 information and resources page.  Data are updated weekly.

COVID-19 testing will continue to be available at the District Office, City College,
Mesa College, Miramar College, and Educational Cultural Complex for any employee interested
in getting tested. COVID-19 testing will continue to be required weekly for all employees
who have not submitted documentation showing they are fully vaccinated. For a complete
schedule of testing locations, days, and times and instructions for making an appointment,
see the COVID-19 TESTING PROCEDURES.

This press release was produced by San Diego Community College District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.